Ace Up Your Sleeve
by newsies-on-a-mission
Summary: Raelynn is the new face of Katherine in the tour of "Newsies." when she meets Alex, who has played Jack in the last two national tours, she finds something to believe in. Will Raelynn seize the day and fall in love with the King of New York?
1. Auditions

Raelynn

I woke up to the birds singing and cars racing down the street. Just kidding, I woke up to my siblings fighting. Times like this I wish I was back in my dorm at NYU. But I graduated this spring, so that can't happen.

Though today may be normal for the rest of my family, it is the biggest day of my life. Today I am auditioning for an opening on the fifth national tour of "Newsies." Being in a musical has been my dream since I was little.

Because it was a casual audition, I got dressed in a pair of black capri leggings, my favorite NYU performing arts t-shirt, white socks that went up to my ankle, and my favorite Nike tennis shoes. I threw my Auburn hair up into a high ponytail and slipped in my black Lululemon headband.

I put a bit of makeup on; which was mascara, blush, and lipstick. My mom had made waffles and I ate one. My mom wished me luck and I headed out the door.

When I got to the audition, I signed in and they gave me a script with a dialogue exchange between Katherine and Jack. I quickly memorized the script.

"Raelynn Friar?" A lady called from a door. I stood up and followed her into a room with a table set up with the director and the guy who, I'm assuming, plays Jack.

"Hello Raelynn," The director said. "I'm Mark Mosser and I am directing this tour of 'Newsies.' What's gonna happen is, you're going to tell me a little bit about yourself, and then Alex, who plays Jack, will read his part and you'll read for Katherine. Then you'll sing a solo, which can be whatever song you want. Okay?"

"Got it." I said and took a deep breath. "I'm Raelynn Friar. I'm 22 and graduated from NYU with a degree in musical theatre this spring and I'm from New York City. I grew up watching, going to, and being in musicals. When I was 12, I started getting bigger roles in musicals, like Alice in 'Alice in Wonderland,' Dorothy in the 'Wizard of Oz,' and Jane in 'Mary Poppins.' I was recruited heavily for scholarships and ended up taking a full ride to NYU, where I was a major role in every musical and play during my four years."

Okay. So Raelynn, will you start us off?" Alex gets up and walks over to me./p

"That was some speech you made." I start.

"How'd you get here?" Alex asked as Jack

"Specs showed me."

"He say you could go through my stuff?" He crosses his arms

"I saw them rolled up, sticking out of there. I didn't know what they were. These drawings... These drawings are of the refuge, aren't they?" I pause and stare at the "drawing" I had in my hands. "Is that really what it's like in there? Three boys to a bed? Rats everywhere? And vermin?" I heard Mark scratching something onto the paper he had.

"A little different from where you were raised?" He questions./p

"Snyder told my father you were arrested for stealing food and clothing. This is why, isn't it? You stole to give things to those boys." I put my hand on his shoulder. He turns away as if he were embarrassed.

"Skip to where Katherine asks about the money," Mark said.

"I need to know you didn't change your mind for the money." I stare at Alex, waiting for the answer.

"I spoke the truth. You win a fight when you got the other fella down eatin' pavement. You heard your father. No matter how many days we strike he ain't givin' up. I don't know what else we can do." He walks over to the table and rests his hands on it as if it were the rooftop on the stage.

"Ah. But I do." I say putting my pointer finger in the air like I had an idea and walked over to the table

"Oh come on..."

"Really, Jack? Really! Only you can have a good idea? Or is it because I'm a girl?" I raise my voice.

"I didn't say nothin'..." Alex cowers.

"This would be a good time to shut up!" I say very sarcastically. "The boss-man doesn't have to have all the answers. Just the brains to recognize the right one when he hears it."

"I'm listening." Alex looks at me intently.

"Good for you." I say, sarcasm clear in my voice. "The strike was your idea. The rally was Davey's. And now my plan will take us to the finish line. Deal with it." I finished the scene.

"Wonderful!" Mark clapped. "What will you be singing for us today?"

"I will be singing 'Watch What Happens' from 'Newsies.'"

"Go ahead."

" _Write what you know, so they say,  
_ _so they say, all I know is I don't know what to write  
_ _or the right way to write it._

 _This is big, lady, don't screw it up,_  
 _This is not some little vaudeville I'm reviewing._  
 _Poor little kids versus rich greedy sour pusses_  
 _Ha! It's a cinch!_

 _It could practically write itself-_  
 _And let's pray it does, cause as I may have mentioned,_  
 _I have no clue what I'm doing._  
 _Am I insane? This is what I've been waiting for._  
 _Well that, plus the screaming of ten angry editors._  
 _A girl? It's a girl! How the heck? Is that even legal?_

 _Look, just go and get her!_  
 _Not only that, there's a story behind the story:_  
 _Thousands of children, exploited, invisible._  
 _Speak up, take a stand, and there's someone to write about it._  
 _That's how things get better._  
 _Give life's little guys some ink, and when it dries just watch what happens._  
 _Those kids will live and breathe right on the page_  
 _and once they're center stage, you watch what happens._  
 _And who's there with her camera and her pen_  
 _as boys turn into men_  
 _they'll storm the gates and then just watch what happens when they do."_ I do a little fangirl scream.

 _"Picture a handsome, heroically charismatic-_  
 _plain spoken, know nothing, skirt-chasing, cocky little son of a-_  
 _lie down with dogs and you wake up with a raise and a promotion._  
 _So, he's a flirt,_  
 _a complete ego maniac._  
 _The fact is he's also the face of the strike-_

 _What a face-_  
 _face the fact, that's a face that could save us all from sinking in the ocean._  
 _Like someone said, "Power tends to corrupt"_  
 _and absolute power, wait! Wait, corrupts!?_  
 _Absolutely, that is genius!_  
 _But give me some time, I'll be twice as good as that six months from never._  
 _Just look around at the world we're inheriting_

 _and think of the one we'll create._  
 _Their mistake is they got old, that is not a mistake we'll be making._  
 _No sir, we'll stay young forever!_  
 _Give those kids and me the brand new century and watch what happens._  
 _It's David and Goliath do or die_  
 _the fight is on and I can't watch what happens._

 _But all I know is nothing happens if you just give in._  
 _It can't be any worse than how it's been._  
 _And it just so happens that we just might win,_  
 _so whatever happens! Let's begin!"_ I finish and am out of breath.

Mark claps and says, "That was wonderful. I love how you captured Katherine's attitude throughout the song."

He looks at Alex and Alex nods. "Raelynn, you are..."

* * *

IM BACK! AND WITH A CLIFFHANGER TOO! GEEZ IM GOOD!


	2. The World Finds Ways To Sting You

_Raelynn._

 _Previously-_

 _"Raelynn you are..."_

"Raelynn you are moving onto the next round!" Mark says.

"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!" I say.

"You are a wonderful actress and singer. You and Alex can stay here while I announce to the other the girls who is moving on." Mark walks out of the room.

"Am I really that good?" I ask Alex.

"Yeah. You are so good." Alex says.

"Thank you. What is the second round?" I ask.

"I can't say. Sorry. But you better know one of the duets in the show." He smirks.

Mark returns with four other girls.

"Okay ladies, you all know that you are moving onto the next round but are probably curious what the second round is. Alex, explain the second round."

"The second round is a purely singing round. All of you, but Raelynn, will be singing Katherine's solo, 'Watch What Happens.' And after that you each will have a chance to sing the Jack and Katherine duet, 'Something To Believe In.'" Alex explains.

"Why doesn't _she_ have to sing it?" A girl with bright blonde hair asks.

"I sang it for the first part of my audition." I answer politely.

"Okay. First up will be Brianna." Mark says and a girl with dirty blonde hair stands up and sings.

All of the other girls went and it was time for the duet. Some were definitely not cut out for Broadway.

"We will start with Brooklyn." Mark says.

Brooklyn was great and was probably going to be the understudy or get the role. I was the last one to go.

"Raelynn, you're up!" Mark says.

 _Okay, Raelynn here goes nothing._

 _"Til the moment I found you,_  
 _I thought I knew what love was._  
 _Now I'm learning what is true,_  
 _That love will do what it does._

 _The world finds ways to sting you,_  
 _And then one day,_  
 _Decides to bring you_  
 _Something to believe in,_  
 _For even a night._  
 _One night may be forever,_  
 _But that's alright, that's alright._  
 _And if you're gone tomorrow,_  
 _What was ours still will be._  
 _I have something to believe in,_  
 _Now that I know you believed in me."_ I sing.

 _"We was never meant to meet,_  
 _And then we meet,_  
 _Who knows why."_ Alex starts and grabs my hands as if he was singing with Morgan, the actress who played Katherine before she left the show. He didn't do that with any of the other girls. _Why me?_

 _"One more stranger on the street,_  
 _Just someone sweet passing by._  
 _An angel come to save me,_  
 _Who didn't even know she gave me something to believe in,_  
 _For even a day._  
 _One day may be forever,_  
 _But that's okay, that's okay._  
 _And if I'm gone tomorrow,_  
 _What was ours still will be._  
 _I have something to believe in,_  
 _Now that I know you believed in me."_

I join him and start. _"Do you know what I believe in?_  
 _Look into my eyes and see."_ Alex leans in, which I know leads to something he does eight times a week on tour, and kisses me. Again, not with any other girls.

"If things were different." He says, moving on like nothing happened, but indeed something did happen. It was like fireworks on the Fourth of July and sparks were flying everywhere. It felt like we were the only two people in the room.

"If you weren't going to Santa Fe." I continue.

"If you weren't an _heiress._ If your father wasn't after my head."

"You're not really scared of my father." I put my hands on my hips.

"No, but I am pretty scared of you."

"Don't be."

 _"And if I'm gone tomorrow,"_ Alex sings.

 _"What was ours still will be."_ I continue the lyric.

 _"I have something to believe in._  
 _Now that I know you believed in me."_ We sing together.

 _"I have something to believe in."_ Alex sings.

 _"Now that I know you believed in me."_ We finish.

To say I was blushing was an understatement. To say my face was as red as a tomato, that would be correct. Everyone clapped for Alex and I.

"Okay ladies, you may go out into the hall while Alex and I deliberate." Mark said.

The other girls and I walked into the hall and the girls started pressing me with questions.

"Do you and Alex know each other?" Brooklyn asked.

"No."

"Are you sure?" One girl questioned. "You guys had incredible chemistry! You are definitely getting the part."

"Thanks." I said quietly. Conversation went on like this for another five minutes.

"Ladies, we have reached our decision." Mark comes into the hallway and announces.

"Okay. All of you were fabulous." Alex says once we were all inside the room. "But sadly, we can only take two of you as Katherine and our female swing."

I take a deep breath.

"Our female swing is... Raelynn Friar!" I smile and everyone claps. "As Katherine... Brooklyn Reed!" We all clap. "Thank you all for coming. As for Raelynn and Brooklyn, rehearsal starts at 8 am sharp at the Nederlander Theatre. See you there."


End file.
